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NMAL Class Goes to Washington!

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  Just before the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, myself along with the rest of the NMAL class 15 group traveled to Washington D.C.   The group got a good introduction of government leadership in February with a trip to our state capital in Sante Fe, NM.   However, we took things to the highest level with the trip to D.C. My family had had some personal experience with how D.C. worked from a bureaucratic vantage point years ago.   My father had been appointed by President Ronald Regan to be the Director of the Office of Service Mining within the Department of Interior. One goal for me with this trip was to see how things may have changed from an adult perspective.   The visit made me realized how even more layers have been added through either policy or regulation, just to get something done.   I know this was my father’s primary frustration in his short tenure in D.C. By their own admission, these policies and regulations have slowed progress significantly.   Either through
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Joy Junction: "A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out"       Poverty and homelessness is an issue that many experience, but few understand.   As part of the seminar week, the group toured a privately-run facility called Joy Junction.   Located in southern Albuquerque, this organization focuses on keeping family units together and safe off the streets.   The tour was led by Mr. Patrick Hankins, the primary volunteer coordinator for Joy Junction.   He began by giving us the program’s history.   The non-profit was established in 1986, after its founder, Dr. Jeremy Reynalds found himself in a situation he never thought he would be in; homeless.   From this experience he built Joy Junction from the ground up, with the goal to keep family units together after severe hardship.   Mr. Hankins discussing the children's learning center Families and individuals must first go through a screening process, but once accepted into their long-term program, they are provided resources and tools they n
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NMAL Goes to the United Kingdom!

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  This year, class 15 participated in the New Mexico Agricultural Innovation and Trade Mission trip to England and Scotland in late June. The international trip is everyone’s highlight of the NMAL program.   It gives members of the class an opportunity to gain a new perspective about global agriculture.   My primary goal of this trip was to learn more about their livestock systems, marketing, and management.   Our first two days were visiting with members of the US Embassy in London, the United Kingdom's department of Ag, and a member of parliament. On day three we traveled out to the country to visit with a variety of farms.  The first was Cragend Farm whose focus will be agri tourism and rare livestock breed preservation.  To conclude the day we visited with a commercial producer.  Their perspectives on agriculture we fairly different.  The first was more idealistic with profit from their animals as low priority and the other more pragmatic and production oriented.  By the end
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